They were a class apart – Listening to cricket commentary those days was a pleasure, what with the voices of experts such as Bobby Talyarkhan, Ananda Rau, and Pearson Surita capturing the magic of the game over AIR.

CRICKET COMMENTARY is now a subject, debated and dissected by all, including the players. A lot of it is related to what is being said and analysed by a plethora of former cricketers in the current World Cup.

True, nothing panegyric is being said about any of them, and rightly so, because very few had succeeded in riveting the attention of the huge audience with their description, vocabulary, vision and assessment, even though a majority are high profile players in their heyday. Their discomfort in pitching for the appropriate expression, total lack of felicity and professionalism, leave alone the essential ingredients of voice modulation, sobriety and restraint, make a mockery of what many regard as an art in itself.

It is fashionable to portray commentators of the BBC and ABC as demi-gods and the Indians unworthy of the job. In the Indian context, it is ridiculous, since the Englishmen and Australians come off in their mother-tongue. Long before the names of John Arlott and Alan McGilvary entered the Indian psyche, there were commentators who earned the appreciation and approbation of one and all, including the thousands of Englishmen. Can any of those who listened to the narration of A.F.S. (Bobby) Talyarkhan from the famous Bombay Gymkhana ground, or any other centre, where Tests were played, feel that it did not match his western counterpart? He was a one-man army, and went on the air throughout the day, giving listeners a mental picture of what he was seeing, be it the classicism of Lala, the imperious stroke-making prowess of CK, or even the impeccable defensive display by Vijay Merchant.

To say, `Bobby’ Talyarkhan was a trendsetter so far as commentary in Indian sports is concerned, notably for cricket and horse-racing, is no exaggeration. There have been quite a few who have followed in the footsteps of `Bobby’, each exuding a different style, personality and intonation to communicate with listeners over the then most powerful medium, the All India Radio. The Maharaj Kumar of Vizianagaram (`Vizzy’ to many), the former India captain, had a style of narration all his own. He was admired and despised, but none dared to ignore him. Vizzy always led the field, and formed a lively team with Devraj Puri and Berry Sarbadikary. While Puri, who was a first-class and unofficial Test cricketer, spoke with a passion, almost racing with the ball rolling from the bat of Vijay Hazare, Vijay Manjrekar or Dattu Phadkar, the silver-haired Berry Sarbadikary was more tonal, drawling but measured.

But if you needed one with the diction and style that matched those demigods of BBC and ABC it was Pearson Surita from Kolkata. A brilliant narrator, both in football and cricket, Pearson was hugely popular with the listeners for the choice of words and observations. Not surprisingly, he was invited as guest commentator to share the mike along with John Arlott and Brian Johnston when India toured England in 1967. Equally versatile was Anant Setalvad from Mumbai.

In no way did Tamil Nadu lag behind in this field. Though `Bobby’ Talyarkhan captured the audience here — he named GP “the parson” and Rangachari “the policeman” — in the 1930s from the picturesque Chepauk, once considered as beautiful as any other English ground, this city, considered then a conservative, intellectual centre, on par with London, can remember with pride a few notable cricket commentators as good in any other metropolis of India. High on this is the late P. Ananda Rau, whose sonorous voice could be heard from any transistor set those days during the Ranji Trophy matches. Unlike now, commentary never came through the whole day, and the resume after an hour or so from lunch break was eagerly looked forward to. The summing up by Ananda Rau on what occurred during the break would be enough for the listener to mentally picture the happenings at Chepauk.

A `Varsity’ blue, Ananda Rau, who spent the better part of his professional career as hotelier — he was the manager with the Dasaprakash Group — contributed immensely to enhancing the profile of cricket commentary. When AIR began broadcasting commentary in 1938, Ananda Rau, then a narrator of local events, made his debut with the Madras-United Province Ranji Trophy match in 1943. Encouraged by the then state captain, G. Parthasarathy, (GP as he was affectionately called) who later became India’s Permanent Representative in the U.N. Ananda Rau was behind the mike for over 57 Tests (both official and unofficial) and 117 first-class matches, including the Ranji and Duleep Trophy tournaments. The golden moment of his career as a commentator came when he was invited by the BBC to do the job from the hallowed Lord’s. He was awarded the Padma Shri in 1991 for his contribution to sport and tourism. He was president of the Federation of Hotels and Restaurants Associations.

Ananda Rau had a splendid team man in Balu Alaganan, the first captain to take Tamil Nadu (then Madras) to a trophy triumph in the Ranji Trophy. Renowned for his sobriety and depth of knowledge, Alaganan’s observations were weighty and taken as authoritative. Another prominent figure during that period was again a Ranji Trophy captain and former Minister of State, R. T. Parthasarathy of Salem. A youngster who went on to become an exponent, K. Balaji, cut short his career behind the mike to pursue higher studies. Bureaucrat and cricket buff, V. Ramamuthy, was also on the panel — he even toured Pakistan. But he switched over to Tamil commentary, and continues to be part of that team. While on the subject, it is not easy to ignore the name of V. M. Chakrapani who joined the staff of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation.

The charm of radio commentary is gone. The advent of TV has transformed the whole concept, where professionalism and felicity have been pushed into the background in preference to projecting star players — glamorous models too — whether they fill the bill or not. If someone today views the TV on mute mode, it is not an aberration; but a conscious choice to avoid the deluge of words.

S. THYAGARAJAN – Article Courtesy – The Hindu

Post Script –  I, HR Gopala Krishna, had the opportunity of working with P Ananda Rau,  Balu Alaganan and, V Ramamurthy in the Radio commentary box as a scorer-cum-statistician in Test Matches and Ranji Trophy matches and with RT Parthasarathy and K Balalji  in Ranji Trophy matches

Secret of success: M.S. Dhoni, who has a record 100 stumpings, knows too well that the odd mistake is often remembered more than a weighty contribution.

Mahendra Singh Dhoni flashed a familiar smile and extended his arm. His handshake was firm, as always.

Moments earlier he had been swarmed by fans in the hotel lobby even as he alighted from the lift. Dhoni’s popularity has not dipped a tad.

Dressed in a tight t-shirt and jeans, he appeared super fit. “Do I have any other choice,” he quipped.

A professional athlete’s life can be hard. You come under a microscope. Then there are questions that follow – Is he getting on in age, is he slowing down?

The India-Australia limited overs series beginning at the M.A. Chidambaram Stadium here on Sunday could see Dhoni answering many of those queries.

As a wicket-keeper batsman, Dhoni comprehends only too well that the odd mistake is often remembered more than a weighty contribution.

Glittering career

He has to be on his toes, silence the doubters and build on what has been a glittering career. At 36, much of his incredible journey from a small town to the big, bold lights of international cricket is behind him. But then, the challenges ahead could get his competitive juices flowing.

For most part, he has sped down the highway to success and milestones, his biker spirit shining through.

Dhoni has crossed the 300-game mark in ODIs; has a record 100 stumpings in them. These are times though when he may have to negotiate some tight bends.

Dhoni no longer plays Test cricket, there can be long breaks between series, and he has to keep his focus. And each time he fails to live up to his own high standards, he will be under even more scrutiny.

Yet, there could be some sting in the tail of a fulfilling tale which could climax in the ICC 2019 World Cup.

Dhoni is here in a city that is only too familiar to him. As the talismanic skipper who fired Chennai Super Kings to several triumphs, he has a legion of supporters in these parts.

There will be a roar when he enters the ground here for the first India-Australia ODI.

‘A legend’

India coach Ravi Shastri has backed Dhoni to continue in the side, appreciates his ability, fitness and commitment. “He is a legend,” says Shastri.

In a side of stroke-makers, Dhoni offers stability to the line-up. He has so often been the link between the specialist batsmen and the lower order.

He can rally when the chips are down, build partnerships and pilot the side home. Take the India – Sri Lanka ODI this season at Pallekele for instance.

Pursuing 237, India slumped 131 for seven before Dhoni (45 not out) guided the side to victory along with Bhuvneshwar Kumar. He does add weight and experience to the order.

Of course, he might not have the eye of a 28-year-old. Years of cricket do take their toll. And his ploy of taking the game deep and exploding at the finish has come in for some criticism particularly when the tactic fails to come off.

His 114-ball 54 against the West Indies in the ODI at North Sound is a case in point. India went down by 11 runs and Dhoni couldn’t quite be the finisher that day.

But then, he still has the bat speed, dexterous wrists and the power to dismantle attacks on his day. Dhoni still covers ground like a panther between the wickets and still possesses those fast hands to effect lighting stumpings and run-outs.

This celebrated cricketer still has some gas left in the tank. Dhoni has some unfinished business.

by S Dinakar – Article courtesy – The Hindu

India coach Ravi Shastri has hinted that there are “surprises in store” from MS Dhoni “with the bat”. There has been a perception over the last few years that Dhoni has struggled to finish games. And while he wasn’t at his destructive best in the recently concluded 5-0 series victory over Sri Lanka, his ability to read the limited-overs game ensured he finished with 162 runs from four ODI innings, without being dismissed.

With Dhoni being 36 now, and the next World Cup in 2019, India seem to have some time to help groom a replacement in less demanding circumstances but Shastri had quashed such arguments two weeks ago saying age was no factor in the debate when the skills haven’t faded. And on Tuesday, speaking to India Today, answering a question on whether Dhoni should be in India’s World Cup plans, Shastri said, “If he keeps performing like that, how can you even think of anything else?”

“He is one of the fittest guys in the team. As far as wicketkeeping goes, in one-day cricket, he’s the best and let me tell you there’ll be some surprises in store with the bat. You watch. I have a feeling there is something around the corner. In Sri Lanka, you might have just seen a trailer.”

Dhoni has been taking a few measures to tweak his game, ditching his preferred style of pads for the more orthodox kind and has been working on a more balanced knee flexion. Technical changes aside, Shastri said Dhoni’s hunger to perform for India has not faded yet. “A break from Test cricket has been very good for him. For going through all those years as a wicketkeeper across all three formats has been tough.”

Another topic that has been debated is the resting of India’s lead spinners from the series against Australia starting on September 17. It is the second one in a row that doesn’t feature R Ashwin, though in this time he is playing for Worcestershire in the County Championship, and Ravindra Jadeja. Even with the chairman of selectors MSK Prasad insisting the offspinner was rested, there was speculation over whether he was dropped from the one-day side.

Shastri said India were making sure Ashwin and Jadeja do not burn out.

“You have a heck of a lot of cricket being played. You have about 25 Test matches in two years. You have a similar number of one-day games and a similar number of T20 games. Now you want a guy operating in a mode in a particular format that is very good from the team point of view. If you look at the No. 1 and 2 bowlers in the world, it’s Ashwin and Jadeja [sic three and two] and we are playing a heck of a lot of cricket, a lot of Test cricket. So if you start playing them across all formats, there will be burn out.

“The World Cup is still two years away. There’s enough time. Every now and then they might play. But the emphasis should be on Test matches as far as they are concerned. They can play across all three formats. So how much you want to use a player here, as opposed to a different format, that is a decision the team management will have to take.

“[India go to] South Africa for two months [in 2018], England two and a half months, Australia two and a half-three months, so you don’t want a burnout or more important than that, injuries. Already you would have seen in Sri Lanka, all 15 players played. You will see at least, across the one-day formats, just having a chat with the selectors, their intentions, I think are very good. Try as many guys who are on the fringe and then boil down to a point, six months, seven months to the World Cup, you have about 17-18 players to choose [from]. That will depend on current form, at that time form will be very important as well, and of course the fitness parameters.”

Article Courtesy – Espncricinfo.com